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The Time Machine For Boston Sports FansSat, 28 Mar 2015 20:01:12 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Vintage Athlete Of The Month: Joe Croninhttp://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/03/16/vintage-athlete-month-joe-cronin/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/03/16/vintage-athlete-month-joe-cronin/#commentsMon, 17 Mar 2014 02:00:31 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=34320The start of baseball season and another year at Fenway Park is around the corner. St. Patrick’s Day is at hand. To celebrate both rites of spring, BST&N pays tribute to one of the great Irish baseball heroes of Boston lore and honors Joe Cronin as March’s Vintage Athlete of the Month. Cronin was born and raised in San Francisco.

A model of consistency at the plate, in the field and in the dugout, Joe Cronin represented both the good and bad in the Boston Red Sox in the period just before and after World War II.

The start of baseball season and another year at Fenway Park is around the corner. St. Patrick’s Day is at hand. To celebrate both rites of spring, BST&N pays tribute to one of the great Irish baseball heroes of Boston lore and honors Joe Cronin as March’s Vintage Athlete of the Month.

Cronin was born and raised in San Francisco. A good athlete, his interest level in school was not particularly high, but the local baseball team came up with a promotion that saved him—the Seals, a minor league franchise that would one day be home to Joe DiMaggio, started giving away free tickets to students with good grades and attendance records. That was enough to motivate Cronin to get through school, and eventually he started playing semipro baseball himself.

It was as he played in Kansas City that Cronin’s big break came. He was spotted by a scout from the Pittsburgh Pirates and in 1926, at the age of 19, made his first appearance in the major leagues. Cronin only got a handful of big-league at-bats over the next couple years and was traded to the Washington Senators. It was here he began to make the mark that would eventually lead him to Boston.

Cronin solidified the shortstop position for the Senators and over the next seven years was a model of consistency at the plate. He hit over .300 four consecutive seasons, drove in 100-plus runs five times, led the league in triples in 1932 and doubles in 1933.

He would have fared even better—at least in terms of public esteem—in today’s world, where statistics have evolved to give credit for more than simply batting average and home runs. Cronin finished with a career on-base percentage of .390, a full 89 points higher than his .301 batting average. That’s good by today’s standards, and outstanding by the pre-Moneyball era where taking a walk was foolishly seen as a sign of weakness. Cronin’s consistent hitting for extra bases would have won him points in slugging percentage and driven his value even higher.

As it was, he still finished in the Top 10 of the MVP voting three times during his tenure in Washington, including a second-place finish in 1933 when the Senators won the American League pennant. Even though they lost the World Series to the New York Giants in five games, Cronin hit .318 in the Fall Classic.

What makes all this even more impressive is that Cronin was doing all this while managing the team. His ability to teach the game of baseball had not gone unnoticed, and the pennant year of ’33 was Cronin’s first as player-manager. He continued in that role for the next two seasons in the nation’s capital and when he was traded to Boston for the 1935 season, it was understood he would both play shortstop and manage in Fenway.

Cronin continued to be a model of consistency at the plate. His productive years as a player ran through 1941 and he hit between .281 and .325 each of those years. The 100-RBI campaigns kept coming, with three more seasons over the century mark and two others that just missed. And the Green Monster was good to Cronin—after never hitting more than 13 home runs in a season with Washington, the manager/shortstop exceeded that number five times in Boston, topping out a 24-home run campaign in 1940.

When his productive playing days ended, Cronin could still manage and in 1946, he led the Red Sox to their first American League pennant since Babe Ruth had been on the team. His knowledge of the game was so widely regarded, that Cronin would later serve as president of the American League after his retirement.

We’ve celebrated Cronin’s achievements, but an honest reading of history requires that we hone in on three warts, escalating in importance from a debate managerial decision to that which is simply indefensible.

*Prior to the 1946 World Series, Cronin staged a practice game under live conditions. Ted Williams was hit in the elbow and lost his power for the Series, getting only five singles in a World Series the Red Sox lost by one run in the seventh game. Cronin’s decision to play this scrimmage can be defended, although I personally prefer teams to just get everyone to the real games healthy. One can only imagine the heat would come down today in the age of social media.

*Cronin let his ego get in the way of the long-term good of the club when he was sent by owner Tom Yawkey to scout Pee Wee Reese, then playing in Louisville. Cronin realized that Reese would be the one to replace him at short, so Cronin sandbagged the player and got him traded to Brooklyn. Although in the bigger picture, maybe it was for the best, since Reese would be in Brooklyn when Jackie Robinson arrived and the shortstop would have the courage to publicly put his arm around the game’s first African-American player in a time of crisis.

*Which leads us to the biggest wart on Cronin’s legacy and it’s his refusal to integrate the Red Sox roster after he became general manager. This includes passing on the opportunity sign Willie Mays and letting the Red Sox lag to the very end, along with the Yankees, in racial integration. There is much to laud in the career of Joe Cronin, and no human being should ever be judged by their worst act. But this was Cronin’s worst act.

Cronin was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956. According the website Baseball Reference, his career statistics, adjusted for factors like era and park effects, compare favorably with other shortstops in Barry Larkin (a Hall of Famer), Alan Trammell (who deserves to be one) and Jimmy Rollins (who will have an outside shot after he retires).

The legacy of Joe Cronin lives on in Boston today. His number was retired by the Red Sox in 1984, and there is a player named Joe Cronin on the Boston College baseball team—a good sophomore infielder who plays second, third and short and usually bats near the top of the order. I can’t confirm if he’s a direct descendant of the Red Sox legend, but we can say this—he’s got the right name for success.

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/03/16/vintage-athlete-month-joe-cronin/feed/0Vintage Athletes Of The Month: Mike Eruzione & Jim Craig (VIDEO)http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/02/19/vintage-athletes-month-mike-eruzione-jim-craig/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/02/19/vintage-athletes-month-mike-eruzione-jim-craig/#commentsWed, 19 Feb 2014 13:00:57 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=32543Team USA is making a run at gold medal glory in the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi. When you talk about U.S. Olympic hockey—especially when it’s being played in Russia—it inevitably leads us back to one of the great Olympic moments of all time, when Team USA won the 1980 gold medal with a massive upset of the then-Soviet Union

Mike Eruzione (top left) and Jim Craig (bottom left) were the captain and goaltender respectively on 1980 Team USA hockey, and both recent grads of Boston University.

Team USA is making a run at gold medal glory in the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi. When you talk about U.S. Olympic hockey—especially when it’s being played in Russia—it inevitably leads us back to one of the great Olympic moments of all time, when Team USA won the 1980 gold medal with a massive upset of the then-Soviet Union as the lynchpin victory.

The state of Massachusetts did not lack for participants on the 1980 Olympic hockey team. Mike Eruzione was the team captain and Jim Craig was the goalie. Both were born and bred in the Bay State, and went on to play college hockey at Boston University. That’s why they’re fitting choices for a salute as BST&N’s Vintage Athletes Of The Month.

Mike Eruzione grew up in a blue-collar Italian-American family, the son of a bartender, where a large portion of the extended family lived under the same roof. In that environment, you learn to be a competitor and Eruzione was certainly that.

The legendary BU head coach Jack Parker, just recently retired after a forty-year head coaching career, called Eruzione “Pete Rose on skates.” Note that Parker said this in the mid-1970s when the listener would presume it meant Eruzione was an intense hardworking player, rather than one who had action on the game.

Eruzione averaged 20 goals a year in four seasons as a Terrier, but this blue-collar player would continue to have to fight for everything he had—no NHL opportunity was forthcoming, in spite of Eruzione playing on Team USA at the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1975-76, so he settled for starting his career in the International Hockey League. Eruzione promptly won Rookie of the Year in 1978 and helped his team win the Turner Cup, before duty beckoned him back to Team USA.

Jim Craig was a little younger than Eruzione, not finishing school at BU until the spring of 1979. Craig also had more of a pedigree. The goaltender was the key to a national championship run for Parker in ’78 and then made All-American a year later. Craig was a natural choice to be in net for Team USA when the Olympics began in Lake Placid, NY.

The Soviet Union was the dominant force in international hockey at this time, and by a lot. Simply playing the Russians respectably was often seen as a moral victory. But there was more the U.S. had to overcome than just the Soviets. The Scandinavian countries all played good hockey, and of course you could never overlook Canada. To even predict a medal for Team USA—much less the gold—would have required a high degree optimism.

Olympic hockey was split into two divisions of six teams apiece. There would be round-robin play within your division, and after those five games were complete, the top two teams in each division would advance into medal round competition. The first game of the Olympics sent a message that Team USA could compete. They played Sweden, one of the best teams in the world, to a 2-2 draw.

It was February 14 that Eruzione gave a Valentine’s Day gift to U.S. hockey fans. The team had given up the first goal to Czechoslovakia. When you’ve already played one game to a tie, there’s not much in the way of margin for error—and the way the round-robin played out, it turned out this game would settle a spot in the medal round. Eruzione scored the tying goal, the momentum shifted and Team USA coasted to a 7-3 win.

Eruzione did it again in a game with Norway, tying up a game at 1-1 and setting in motion an easy win for Team USA. After a pair of victories over Romania and West German, the Americans were 4-0-1, the same as Sweden. Both teams would advance to the medal round, along with the Soviet Union and Finland from the opposite division.

One important note about the medal round is that it was not set up in a tournament format. The four teams were treated as a separate round-robin onto themselves, with the game played against your division team already counting. Consequently, the Soviets, thanks to a win over Finland, already led with two points. Team USA and Sweden had a point apiece after their tie.

It was Friday, February 22, that the U.S. would play the Soviets. The USSR was barreling through the competition, with a goals differential of 51-11 in five games. If you were looking for some optimism, you could note that the game with Finland had been tied going into the third period and ended a respectable 4-2. The imposing goals differential was coming through games like a 16-0 blasting of lowly Japan, running up the score on weak opponents. How might the Soviets react if they really got pushed?

Craig had played a good Olympic tournament to this point, but also hadn’t really been tested since the Sweden game. His offense had consistently given him comfortable margins to work with. When the Soviets grabbed a 2-1 lead in the first period, it would have been fair to wonder if Craig was in over his head. But from that point forward, the goalie essentially put Team USA on his back.

If you could discount the goalies, the Soviets outplayed the Americans on that legendary Friday night in Lake Placid. The USSR had a shot advantage of 39-16. But Craig got locked in and kept turning back shot after shot and Team USA pulled to a 3-3 tie with about 12 minutes to go. Now it was Eruzione’s time again.

At about the ten-minute mark, the captain got open in the high slot and fired. The puck found the back of the net and Team USA had the lead. As to the question of what the Soviets would do if their back was to the wall, we got the answer—they hit the panic button, launching shots they later conceded were wild, desperate efforts. Craig turned them all back. It set the stage for the final countdown.

Al Michaels was calling the game for ABC and in the course of his career has called his share of great games, including his current role on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. But Michaels has never made a more legendary call then the closing seconds of the upset of the USSR—“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”

The disparity in talent at that time led ABC studio host Jim McKay to fairly analogize this result to Canadian college football players beating the Pittsburgh Steelers (then the two-time defending Super Bowl champions).But there was still one more game to play.

Sweden and Finland had played to a tie, so the U.S. was in first place in the medal round with three points, while the Soviets and Swedes had two apiece. If Team USA lost its Sunday game to Finland, the USSR-Sweden game would be for the gold medal. Team USA could slip as low as the bronze. I’ve read historical accounts that say the U.S. could have been shut out of the medal awards entirely, but I can’t figure out how, nor is that my recollection coming into the game.

The U.S.-Finland game lives in on sports lore whenever a team has to come back after an epic triumph and do it one more time. Most memorably for Boston fans, Theo Epstein referenced the Finland game as an analogy for what the Red Sox had to do after the 2004 American League Championship Series when they met the St. Louis Cardinals.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Team USA was a little flat, trailing 2-1 after two periods. In the second intermission, Eruzione would recall head coach Herb Brooks saying “If you lose this game, you’ll take it to your (bleeping) graves.” There wasn’t a whole lot of “we’re just happy to be here” sentiment going through the U.S. locker room.

Craig took over the third period yet again and shut down the Finns, and Team USA began coming back. They ripped off three third-period goals, the last one shorthanded and with a 4-2 triumph won the gold medal. Just as the game itself is often forgotten at the expense of Friday’s stunner, so too is Michael’s call—every bit as epic as the one two days earlier. “This impossible dream…comes true!”

The legend of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team has never dimmed. If I’m having a conversation with friends and throw out a question about the greatest sports moment of our lifetimes, it’s always followed by “I mean besides the 1980 hockey team.” That moment is so far and above the rest it’s not even worth discussing. And that’s why the team’s captain and its goalie, Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig, are fitting choices as BST&N’s Vintage Athlete of the Month.

Words couldn’t describe what Team USA did in 1980 and Sports Illustrated’s cover didn’t even try.

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/02/19/vintage-athletes-month-mike-eruzione-jim-craig/feed/3Vintage Athlete Of The Month: Rodney Harrison (VIDEO)http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/01/09/vintage-athlete-month-rodney-harrison/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/01/09/vintage-athlete-month-rodney-harrison/#commentsThu, 09 Jan 2014 21:00:01 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=30300The New England Patriots start what they hope will be a drive for the seventh AFC title and fourth Super Bowl championship in the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era (and ninth AFC crown in franchise history). When the Patriots won Super Bowls, from 2001-04, they were a well-balanced team that played some serious defense, in addition to having Brady behind center.

In the annals of Boston’s clutch postseason performers, Rodney Harrison’s role in the Patriot Dynasty years, deserves more attention.

The New England Patriots start what they hope will be a drive for the seventh AFC title and fourth Super Bowl championship in the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era (and ninth AFC crown in franchise history). When the Patriots won Super Bowls, from 2001-04, they were a well-balanced team that played some serious defense, in addition to having Brady behind center.

Therefore, it’s appropriate that in choosing January’s Vintage Athlete of the Month, we look at a defender from that era. How about one who delivered his best performances in the playoff spotlight, and remains relevant to today’s NFL audiences? I refer to Rodney Harrison, the strong safety for the 2003-04 championship teams, and today a studio analyst every Sunday night for NBC.

Harrison grew up in the Chicago era and played his college football away from the national spotlight, at Western Illinois. He set school records for tackles, and made All-American each of his last two years, before being drafted in the fifth round by the San Diego Chargers in 1994.

San Diego and Harrison made a good match, and the strong safety had a good run in SoCal. He played nine seasons for the Chargers, and made two Pro Bowls. At the age of 32, when a lot of players are settling into decline, the Bolts decided to release him. Belichick moved in, and offered Harrison a six-year deal to come to Foxboro.

The contract given to Harrison played a part in one of the more bizarre subplots of the Belichick era, one of the few times the Patriots had soap opera drama going on. Contract negotiations with free safety Lawyer Milloy were ongoing, and as the Patriots committed years and dollars to Harrison, they asked Milloy to take a pay cut. When he declined, the team released him just prior to the season opener in 2003.

New England then lost their first two games, prompting ESPN studio analyst Tom Jackson, on the then-highly rated NFL Primetime Show every Sunday evening (it’s since given way to ESPN’s Monday Night coverage), to declare “they hate their coach”, referring to Belichick’s hard line against Milloy.

Winning stops all soap operas though, and the Patriots never lost again in 2003. Harrison vindicated the head coach’s decision with his performance in two tough, physical playoff games.

New England met Tennessee in the 2003 AFC divisional round. With the scored tied 7-7 in the first half, Harrison picked off a Steve McNair pass, setting up a touchdown. The Patriots needed everything they could get, because it took an Adam Vinateri field goal with a little over four minutes left, and a last defensive stop on their own end of the field before the 17-14 win was secure. This frigid Saturday night in Foxboro is one of the more underrated moments of the Dynasty Years and Harrison’s contribution was vital.

Next up were the Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning. Harrison again made his presence felt in a big way. With the Pats up 7-0 early and Indy on the New England 5-yard-line, Harrison intercepted Manning in the end zone. Later, with the lead extended to 15-0, Harrison forced a fumble, recovered by New England. The aftermath of the game saw griping—from both the Colts and fans nationwide about the physical style employed by all the New England defensive backs and Harrison was most definitely a ringleader in that. Here’s hoping the current crop of Patriot defensive backs inspire similar angst by this coming Sunday morning.

In the video below, the narrator delivers a line that sums it up well–“Rodney Harrison possessed a skilled few players have–the ability to make defining plays in postseason games.”

http://youtu.be/0is3rf-TA6c

The Patriots went on to defeat the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl and then came back again strong in 2004, ripping off a second consecutive 14-2 season and facing a difficult playoff road that would have Indianapolis again coming to Foxboro, and then a trip to 15-1 Pittsburgh.

Harrison again was a clutch postseason performer. He intercepted Manning in a 20-3 win that sent the Pats to Pittsburgh. Then, in the AFC Championship Game, he made the game’s defining play. New England led 17-3 in the first half, but the Steelers had moved into the red zone. Rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger looked to the right side on an out route. Harrison read the play, jumped the route and 87 yards later was in the end zone. A game that looked like it was about to get close had been blown wide open.

The Super Bowl opponent was the Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots started slowly, and the Eagles twice threatened to score when the game was still scoreless. A drive to the New England 45 ended when Harrison sacked Donovan McNabb on 2nd-and-10. A drive to the New England red zone ended when Harrison picked off McNabb inside the 5-yard-line. And on the game’s final possession, with the Pats leading 24-21, the game ended when Harrison picked off McNabb one more time.

In the Super Bowl against the Eagles, Harrison made two clutch defensive plays early, and one more to clinch it.

Deion Branch was named Super Bowl MVP for his 11 catches and 133 yards, and it’s hard to argue against those numbers. You could make a reasonable case for Harrison though. And if the NFL were like the NHL, and you gave out an award like the Conn Smythe, which covered the entire postseason, Harrison’s argument becomes even stronger.

The 2003-04 run was the high point of a very solid career for Harrison. Injuries marred the final four seasons of his career. We also, in the interests of historical accuracy, cannot gloss over the less savory parts of the record. Harrison was suspended four games for use of HGH growth hormone. It’s debatable whether this was simply to recover from injuries or specifically to enhance performance. It was a violation of league rules in either case, and not to be condoned, but I would see the difference in the two motives as the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony when it comes to a legacy.

Harrison’s physical play was also one that people around the league felt crossed the line. He “won” separate polls of both players and coaches as the league’s dirtiest player. Some of this is undoubtedly due to the Patriot hate that exists around the league, for reasons no more compelling that the Pats win a lot, and the New England defense in general was coming under a lot of heat for their physical play at the time.

Finally, though it’s certainly debatable how much blame Harrison deserves for this, he was the defender on David Tyree’s miracle catch from Eli Manning that ended up being the signature play of the Super Bowl loss following the 2007 season and ended the hopes of 19-0. Personally, I think Harrison had the coverage and was in the wrong place at the wrong time, from the standpoint of history. You’ve all seen the play more times than you care to and surely have your own judgment of Harrison’s culpability.

Ultimately, however the final legacy of Rodney Harrison shakes out, we can say this. He was a tough, physical football player in an era when that defined the New England Patriots’ defense, and that era was ultimately defined by the team winning Super Bowls. There’s plenty in Harrison’s body of work that can and should be emulated by this generation of Patriot defenders. It needs to start on Saturday night, and it’s why Harrison is BST&N’s Vintage Athlete Of The Month.

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2014/01/09/vintage-athlete-month-rodney-harrison/feed/1Vintage Athlete Of The Month: John Hannahhttp://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/12/08/vintage-athlete-month-john-hannah/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/12/08/vintage-athlete-month-john-hannah/#commentsSun, 08 Dec 2013 15:07:11 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=28917The New England Patriots have not only been the most successful NFL franchise of the early 21st century, but they’ve become synonymous over the past several years with a finesse-style offense that places all the pressure on the quarterback. It wasn’t always that way though–the franchise was the only NFL home of the man who tops most career lists as

The New England Patriots have not only been the most successful NFL franchise of the early 21st century, but they’ve become synonymous over the past several years with a finesse-style offense that places all the pressure on the quarterback. It wasn’t always that way though–the franchise was the only NFL home of the man who tops most career lists as the greatest offensive lineman to ever play the game.

We refer, of course, to John Hannah, and as we get set for this coldest of NFL months, when physical play is at a premium, it seems appropriate to honor “Hog Hannah” as BST&N’s Vintage Athlete Of The Month.

Hannah comes from a terrific football bloodline, with his father and brother both playing in the NFL trenches. His father, Herb, played a year in the NFL for the New York Giants and younger brother Charley had a 12-year career in Tampa Bay and Oakland.

The signs that John would be an excellent football player were there from the outset in high school, where he was also a national champion wrestler, and participated in track, in the shot put and discus throw. He followed in his father’s footsteps and played college football at Alabama, a path his younger brother would also follow.

Hannah was All-American in his junior and senior year, and Alabama legend Bear Bryant called him the best offensive lineman he’d ever coached. Considering that Bryant won five national championships, is on the short list of the best college coaches in history and built that success around bruising offensive lines, that’s quite a statement.

Even though Hannah was considered a little short by NFL standards, his lower body strength and agility won over scouts and the Patriots took him fourth overall in the 1973 NFL draft. It was a draft that built New England’s running game for the next decade, because seven spots later the Pats grabbed USC running back Sam “Bam” Cunningham to run through the holes Hannah would be creating.

Create holes is exactly what Hannah did, and by 1976, the Patriots were a contender and Hannah made 1st-team All-Pro for the first of seven times, and went to the first of his nine Pro Bowls. Two years later, New England ran for 3,165 yards as team. The total set a new NFL record that stands to this day. From 1978-81, a vote of the players named Hannah the best offensive lineman in the game every single year.

Hannah (#73) was renowned for his agility in blocking in the open field.

Prior to the arrival of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, the Patriots were not exactly renowned for success, so it’s significant that the franchise had seven winning seasons in Hannah’s tenure, which lasted through 1985. This includes a run to the AFC Championship in his final year of ’85 and the 1976 team would have been in prime position to win the Super Bowl if not for an absolutely awful roughing the passer call in the playoffs against Oakland. That call and loss denied Hannah his best chance at a Super Bowl ring.

At least Hog Hannah not only made the Super Bowl for his final season, but he and his mates on the offensive line were a big reason why. New England’s run through the playoffs as a 5-seed (the first team to win three postseason games on the road) came about because they ran the ball effectively, particularly the AFC Championship Game in Miami. Hannah, still going strong at age 34, was clearing holes, made 1st-team All-Pro and then rode off into the sunset, still at the top of his game.

The agility might be gone, but even in retirement, the old Hog looks like he could still move a pile.

Hannah’s legacy is secure. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. When the folks at the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton chose All-Decade teams, Hannah qualified in both the 1970s and 1980s, making second-team and first-team respectively. When the league chose its 75th Anniversary team in 1994, Hannah was named the top guard in the history of the NFL.

Whether it was showing agility in pass protection, speed in pulling out wide on sweeps or just straight power-blocking, no one in NFL history every did it better than John Hannah. BST&N is proud to salute him and hopes the offensive line of the 2013 Patriots finds a little bit of that muscle the Hog used to display as we get set for another run in the playoffs.

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/12/08/vintage-athlete-month-john-hannah/feed/0BST&N Vintage Athlete Of The Month: Terry O’Reilly (VIDEO)http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/11/10/vintage-athlete-month-terry-oreilly-video/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/11/10/vintage-athlete-month-terry-oreilly-video/#commentsSun, 10 Nov 2013 11:00:02 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=27338 In the rough-and-tumble world of Irish Boston, no trait is valued more than loyalty and nothing respected more than the ability to take care of oneself. Translated to the world of hockey, that means a tough enforcer who can handle things when they get the rough. Today’s fans might identify Shawn Thornton as that kind of player for the

In the rough-and-tumble world of Irish Boston, no trait is valued more than loyalty and nothing respected more than the ability to take care of oneself. Translated to the world of hockey, that means a tough enforcer who can handle things when they get the rough.

Today’s fans might identify Shawn Thornton as that kind of player for the 2013-14 Boston Bruins. But back in the day there was another enforcer on hand, and that was Terry O’Reilly, whom BST&N salutes as our Vintage Athlete Of The Month.

O’Reilly was drafted at the height of the Bruins’ glory years in the early 1970s. He played his first NHL game at the age 20 in the 1972 season when the franchise won its second Stanley Cup in three years. O’Reilly got his first taste of hockey at the highest level playing with Phil Esposito, Johnny Orr, John Bucyk and Derek Sanderson, among others.

As internship programs go, that’s pretty good, and though O’Reilly only played in one game, he scored a goal and got his feet wet learning from some of the game’s all-time greats. One year later he played in 72 games and his career was underway.

The forward got the nickname “Bloody O’Reilly” for his willingness to mix it up and battle on behalf of his teammates. As a result, he never generated huge point totals, but he did have his best offensive years in 1977 & 1978, delivering 51 assists in ’77 and 61 assists a year later. The 1978 showing put him in the top ten of the NHL in passing, and in both of the years the Bruins made the Finals.

One year later came the incident that O’Reilly is most remembered for. It was two days before Christmas of 1979 in Madison Square Garden. Boston had just won a hard-fought 4-3 game over the New York Rangers, and players were milling around the ice in the brief aftermath of the win. Some trouble started with a few of the Ranger players around the boards.

A New York fan got over the boards and got the stick of Boston player Stan Jonathan and hit him on the head with the stick. Furious, O’Reilly went barreling into the stands to get the stick back and before anyone knew it, several other Boston players went in with them.

I understand that you can’t condone a player going into the stands no matter the circumstances, and O’Reilly’s eight-game suspension–stiff by the standards of the time–was deserved. That doesn’t mean one can’t think the fan might have had it coming, and to admire the loyalty of the player who went in to take care of business on behalf of his teammate.

It’s taking care of business on behalf of the team that marked Terry O’Reilly’s career as a player and he went on to enjoy more success after his playing days. He was named the Bruins’ head coach midway through the 1987 season and one year later he got them to the Finals.

O’Reilly never won a Stanley Cup as a coach, nor as a regular, contributing member as a player. But he made the Finals three times in those combined roles and played in two All-Star Games. On October 24, 2002, he officially entered the Bruins’ pantheon, when his number was retired.

No finer compliment could be paid to Terry O’Reilly than that given by his legendary teammate Ray Borque on the night O’Reilly’s jersey elevated to the rafters. “I’m glad his is hanging right next to mine,” Borque said. “Protecting me again.”

No one protected his own like Terry O’Reilly and that’s why BST&N is honored to do our part in protecting his legacy.

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/11/10/vintage-athlete-month-terry-oreilly-video/feed/1Vintage Athlete Of The Month: Mike Greenwellhttp://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/09/07/vintage-athlete-month-mike-greenwell/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/09/07/vintage-athlete-month-mike-greenwell/#commentsSat, 07 Sep 2013 10:00:33 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=25368The 1995 Boston Red Sox were a team similar to the one we’re enjoying in 2013. The ’95 Sox had come off a bad year in 1994, with only the strike that cancelled the season saving the Red Sox from their third straight sub-.500 campaign. When deciding whom to honor for our Vintage Athlete of the Month, it seemed appropriate

Mike Greenwell was a key part of a 1995 Red Sox team whose comeback season was a lot like 2013.

The 1995 Boston Red Sox were a team similar to the one we’re enjoying in 2013. The ’95 Sox had come off a bad year in 1994, with only the strike that cancelled the season saving the Red Sox from their third straight sub-.500 campaign. When deciding whom to honor for our Vintage Athlete of the Month, it seemed appropriate to look to 1995, as Boston launches a push for what would be just its second AL East title since the ’95 season.

There were two good candidates—but we’ve already honored Mo Vaughn previously. And when Tim Wakefield retired, we paid tribute to his fine career. Another notable contributor was Roger Clemens, but he’s deader to us than Fredo Corleone was to brother Michael after betraying him in Godfather II. When you looked at the candidates, there was really one logical person to step forward and claim the honor on behalf of the 1995 Red Sox and that was left fielder Mike Greenwell.

Honoring Greenwell’s contributions to the Red Sox and respecting his place in baseball lore is long overdue anyway. He tipped his toe into the major league waters in 1985 and 1986, and got a handful of postseason at-bats in ’86. But in neither year did he play enough to qualify for Rookie of the Year.

1987 was Greenwell’s first full season, and he took full advantage of his opportunity. He hit. .328, popped 19 home runs and finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting that Mark McGwire won. But Greenwell had established that the unbroken chain of excellence in Fenway Park’s leftfield—from Williams to Yaz to Rice—had a worthy heir.

The team had a down year in ’87, but came back in 1988 and no one was a bigger part of the resurgence than Greenwell. At age 24, he posted a .416 on-base percentage and slugged .513. He drove in 119 runs and finished second in the MVP voting, won by Jose Canseco.

It’s here that we should stop and point something out—playing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Greenwell was around as PED use was becoming mainstream. There was never any evidence—including circumstantial—to tie him to PEDs. He never became a physical specimen, and as we’re about to see, the injury problems he had, means he never turned to PEDs as a healing salve.

This become even more noteworthy when you consider that the two awards Greenwell came closest to—the ’87 ROY and the ’88 MVP—were won by two of the biggest cheaters of the era. Greenwell never won a major award, but he left the game with his integrity in place. He goes down as a prime example of the players who lost out while their brethren trashed the game.

Greenwell continued doing his own trashing of opposing pitchers though. He hit over .300 in six of his first seven years in the major leagues, and the one time he missed was at .297. Though he never slugged over . 500 again, and was a never a home run hitter along the lines of Rice, his slugging percentages stayed in the mid-to-high .400s at that time, as he drove the ball for extra bases. He was a cornerstone player on a team that won three AL East titles.

The man they called “Gator” enjoyed success in a dark era and left with his heart and honor intact.

One thing that “Gator”—a nickname deriving from Greenwell’s Fort Myers roots and a locker room prank where he put an alligator in Ellis Burks’ locker—never did, was hit in the postseason. The three trips to the playoffs resulted in just a 6-for-43 showing. In fairness though, Greenwell had plenty of company in October. The Red Sox of 1988, 1990 and 1995 went 0-11 in the postseason. The victory in those years was simply getting there, particularly the former two, when the McGwire/Canseco/PED A’s were dominating the American League.

Leg and ankle injuries were plaguing Greenwell though, and he was only 32 years old when he played his last big-league season. He still went out with a bang though—on Labor Day 1996, with an average Red Sox team still holding out hope in the wild-card race, Greenwell drove in nine runs against the Seattle Mariners. And all nine were needed, as the final one was the game-winner in a 9-8 win.

Greenwell tried his hand at playing ball in Japan, but one more broken leg ended his playing days for good. He would end up having nine knee surgeries and three more on his leg, by the time all was said and done. His son Bo, currently a 24-year-old prospect in the Cleveland Indians system, has had similar lower body problems, so perhaps there’s something inherently structural that’s held the Greenwells back.

Boston fans know that Mike Greenwell never held back the effort though, and that he was a vital part of a period in Red Sox history that, while not great, was still better than most eras in the club’s long history. And unlike so many from that era, we don’t have to put an asterisk behind what he accomplished.

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/09/07/vintage-athlete-month-mike-greenwell/feed/1Vintage Athlete Of The Month: Tedy Bruschi (VIDEO)http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/08/04/vintage-athlete-of-the-month-tedy-bruschi/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/08/04/vintage-athlete-of-the-month-tedy-bruschi/#commentsSun, 04 Aug 2013 22:17:14 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=24439The start of another NFL season and another New England Patriots’ run at the Super Bowl is just around the corner. Earlier this week, the Patriots honored one of the greats of their Super Bowl-winning teams of 2001-04. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi was inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame, and BST&N honors him as our Vintage Athlete of The Month.

The start of another NFL season and another New England Patriots’ run at the Super Bowl is just around the corner. Earlier this week, the Patriots honored one of the greats of their Super Bowl-winning teams of 2001-04. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi was inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame, and BST&N honors him as our Vintage Athlete of The Month.

Bruschi played his college football at Arizona, and it’s surely no coincidence that the 1992-95 period he played there not only marks one of the high points for a program that has had an up-and-down history, but that the high point came about because of outstanding defense.

A neck injury prevented Bruschi from contributing in his true freshman year of 1991, and he ended up a medical redshirt. He got on the field as a part-time player on a team whose defense nearly shocked the nation when they took #1-ranked Miami to the wire before losing 8-7.

One year later was the breakout season for Bruschi and for his school. He was moved to defensive end, made second-team All-American and was voted team MVP. The Arizona defense as a whole was nicknamed “Desert Swarm” and they got a bid to the Fiesta Bowl, for a revenge shot at Miami. The entire nation watched in shock as Bruschi and the defense he led completely dominated the more heralded Hurricanes in a 29-0 whitewashing.

Bruschi got even better over the next two years, making first-team All-American each time and being a finalist for the Lombardi Award, given to the best lineman or linebacker in the country. He came up short of this Lombardi Award, but that wouldn’t be the case for another Lombardi Trophy that they give out in the NFL.

It was Bill Parcells’ regime in New England that drafted Bruschi in the spring of 1996. He was deemed too small to play defensive end and question marks about his ability at linebacker resulted in the Pats being able to draft him in the third round. In his rookie year, Bruschi was a pass-rush specialist and the team made it to the Super Bowl.

Even though they lost, 35-21 to the Green Bay Packers, Bruschi sacked the young and mobile Brett Favre twice and the Pats’ rookie sent a message about his big-game ability that would resound even louder in years to come.

Bruschi’s playing time continued to increase and by 1999 he was a regular starter and finished second on the team in tackles. Over the next three years he would establish himself as leader of the defense that would be taken over by Bill Belichik and make a name for itself when they stunned Kurt Warner and the high-powered St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl following the 2001 season.

The video below shows several great Bruschi moments, but one of my favorites is a simple open-field tackle of Ram running back Marshall Faulk in that Super Bowl upset. Faulk was the best back in football at the time, and his shiftiness made him almost impossible to handle in the open field. Bruschi’s fundamentally sound form tackle characterized the no-nonsense style that marked his career and delivered that team the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

http://youtu.be/uXqMu408ZA8

Over the ensuing years, the reputation of Bruschi and the Patriots skyrocketed. He was voted defensive captain for 2002, and while that year saw a step back, New England came back to win successive Super Bowls in 2003-04. Unlike the more recent Patriot teams, which have been heavily dependent on Tom Brady, the championship teams were years when New England was renowned for tough, physical, opportunistic defense.

Tedy Bruschi was the defensive heart and soul of the Patriots’ greatest teams.

No one was more opportunistic than Bruschi, who produced seven defensive touchdowns in his career, either scoring them directly, or creating a fumble that was taken to the house. The 2004 AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis Colts was his crowning moment. Bruschi forced one fumble, recovered two more, the team held Peyton Manning’s offense to three points and the aftermath would be all kinds of discussion about whether New England was perhaps too physical on defense. We haven’t heard that complaint from the league in recent years, and in spite of the greatness of Brady, that might be the reason there has also not been a Super Bowl trophy since 2004.

In February 2005, Bruschi’s career seemed to be over. He suffered a stroke, which is officially called “minor”, but resulted in partial paralysis. Amazingly, not only did he return, but he did so by October of that same season. Nor was this a half-hearted, short-term comeback, for Tedy Bruschi did nothing half-hearted. He reclaimed his starting job, his captaincy, and was a regular throughout the undefeated regular season run and continued to play at a solid level through 2008.

Bruschi retired prior to the 2009 season, and when he was inducted into the Pats’ Hall of Fame this past week, he got a surprise visitor—Bill Belichick took time away from practice, something that is, to put it mildly, out of character. We could close with some warm words about Bruschi, but I think what the Hoodie had to say sums it up best of all…

“Tedy Bruschi was a great, great football player because of his passion, his love, his team attitude toward the game are second to none.”

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/08/04/vintage-athlete-of-the-month-tedy-bruschi/feed/0Review: CSNNE’s Remembering Reggie Lewishttp://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/07/25/remembering-reggie-lewis-with-csnne/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/07/25/remembering-reggie-lewis-with-csnne/#commentsThu, 25 Jul 2013 12:30:36 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=24107Comcast SportsNet New England, the TV home of the Boston Celtics, will debut a documentary Sunday July 28th titled “REMEMBER REGGIE: The Reggie Lewis Story.” Boston Sports Then and Now was fortunate enough to be in attendance this week for a private pre-screening of this captivating account of his life. Celtics fans have fond memories of Bird and crew in

CSNNE debuts a documentary to highlight the life of Reggie Lewis 20 years after his death.

Comcast SportsNet New England, the TV home of the Boston Celtics, will debut a documentary Sunday July 28th titled “REMEMBER REGGIE: The Reggie Lewis Story.” Boston Sports Then and Now was fortunate enough to be in attendance this week for a private pre-screening of this captivating account of his life.

Celtics fans have fond memories of Bird and crew in the ‘80s and more recent recollections of the success the franchise has had with Pierce and Garnett. There was however a gap in the franchise’s storied dominance. “Remember Reggie” chronicles the reality of that dark part in Celtics history.

The life ofReggie Lewis is articulately conveyed starting with his days under Jim Calhoun at Northeastern to his captaincy of the Boston Celtics. With the team’s torch being passed to Reggie, the future Celtics appeared to be in good hands. That is until Reggie fainted on the court in the ‘93 NBA playoffs and later had a more traumatic episode that summer which cost him his life.

“Remember Reggie” took time to highlight and remember the basketball player and community-oriented individual Reggie was in the city of Boston during his collegiate and professional career. The film grasps you and lets you know exactly who the Celtics lost.

In a true effort to tell the whole story, full disclosure in this documentary brought to the forefront questions about how doctors handled Lewis’ condition after his first episode, as well as allegations that Reggie’s death was linked to cocaine use. CSNNE did a fine job of reliving not only the playing career of Reggie, but the controversial aftermath that surrounded his untimely death.

The documentary provides fantastic context and it is a must see for all Celtics fans.

See Comcast’s press release below:

BURLINGTON, MA, July 23, 2013 – Reggie Lewis lived an exceptional life in the limelight as a basketball phenom, from his younger days in Baltimore, MD to his exemplary college career which put Northeastern University on the basketball map, to his drafting by the Boston Celtics and receiving of the captain’s torch from Larry Bird – no doubt that Reggie’s was a life of talent and promise. In July of 1993, as the young star was quickly becoming the face of the Celtics franchise, Reggie collapsed and died of heart failure during a team practice. For Boston sports fans, Reggie was a touchstone figure in the city’s sports history, but the full story of his life and untimely death on the court has never been told with great depth – until now.

On Sunday, July 28th at 8PM, ComcastSportsNet will debut a 90-minute documentary “REMEMBER REGGIE: The Reggie Lewis Story” presented by New England Ford Dealers, recounting the life of Reggie Lewis on the same weekend of the 20th anniversary of his death. The program, produced fully by Comcast SportsNet, will be narrated by Boston media personality Glenn Ordway and will feature in-depth interviews with some of the most important and iconic people in Reggie’s life – family, friends, teammates, coaches, colleagues, doctors, and more, including: HS classmate and NBA colleague Muggsy Bogues; Northeastern Coach Jim Calhoun; Celtics teammate Dee Brown; respected journalists Bob Ryan, Jackie MacMullan, Dan Shaughnessy;Reggie’s mother; his sister; and many more.

“In my office I always had a picture of all my kids — and Reggie. I’ll miss him forever, he was like a child of mine,” said former Northeastern Coach Calhoun in the documentary. “I remember Reggie hitting game winners. I remember Reggie being drafted. I remember Reggie being captain of the Celtics. I remember so much positive and great things about Reggie Lewis that nothing in this world can ever take that away from me, until the day Idie.”

“You know, people just don’t understand — life can be taken away from you just that quickly,” said former teammate Bogues in the film. “He reached the highest pinnacle that he had envisioned for himself which was the NBA. I just miss him.”

Starting the story back in Baltimore where Reggie’s basketball days began and journeying through time to that unforgettable day on July 27th, 1993, Comcast SportsNet will tell the story that has never been fully told in this exclusive documentary.

Immediately following the documentary, Comcast SportsNet will feature a special live edition of Sports Sunday which will be Reggie Lewis themed and will feature a cast of panelists talking about Reggie’s life. The panel will include Ordway and Michael Holley, among others, discussing Reggie’s history, his rise to fame, and “what could have been”.

Additionally, CSNNE.com will feature exclusiveweb-only content surrounding the 20th anniversary of Reggie’s death and will offer viewers and opportunity to provide online feedback about both Reggie and the documentary. For viewers outside of the Comcast SportsNet New England viewing area, they can watch the program on CSNNE.com as well.

Following are some of the people from Reggie’s life who are included and interviewed in the documentary:

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/07/25/remembering-reggie-lewis-with-csnne/feed/1Vintage Athlete Of The Month: Pedro Martinezhttp://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/07/03/vintage-athlete-of-the-month-pedro-martinez/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/07/03/vintage-athlete-of-the-month-pedro-martinez/#commentsWed, 03 Jul 2013 19:00:48 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=23426Has it really been nine years since Pedro Martinez last pitched in a Boston Red Sox uniform? Has it been fourteen years since he electrified the entire nation when Fenway Park hosted the 1999 All-Star Game? It seems like it can’t be that long ago, yet here we are with Pedro only a year away from being eligible for the

Has it really been nine years since Pedro Martinez last pitched in a Boston Red Sox uniform? Has it been fourteen years since he electrified the entire nation when Fenway Park hosted the 1999 All-Star Game? It seems like it can’t be that long ago, yet here we are with Pedro only a year away from being eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. In this month of July, as we shift our focus to baseball, Pedro is BST&N’s Vintage Athlete of the Month.

Martinez was born on October 25, 1971, which means that somewhere in his native Dominican Republic, he was celebrating his 15th birthday on the night a ground ball skipped through Bill Buckner’s legs in Shea Stadium. It’s surely ironic that this man would become instrumental in ending the Red Sox’ 86-year championship drought.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Pedro as an 18-year-old, and got a look at what he could do in 1993. Pedro threw over 100 innings mostly in relief and compiled a 2.61 ERA. The Dodgers still traded him to Montreal for second baseman Delino DeShields—who, in fairness to the Dodgers, was a pretty good second baseman and well-established. But it wouldn’t take long for seller’s remorse to kick in.

Over the next three seasons, Pedro established himself as a rising star as a starting pitcher. His ERAs were consistently in the 3s, and he had double-digit wins each year. Some bad luck cost him two notable achievements, one for the team and the other for himself.

Montreal had the best record in major league baseball at the point the 1994 work stoppage wiped out the rest of the season and playoffs. And in 1995, Martinez threw a perfect nine innings in a game that had to go the 10th at 0-0. He gave up a double in the tenth, and consequently could not be credited with a perfect game.

1997 was the breakout year. Pedro posted a 1.90 ERA, threw thirteen complete games, rolled up a 241 inning workload and won 17 games. He won the Cy Young Award, and with the Red Sox in the market for starting pitching, with the Roger Clemens Era having ended a year earlier, general manager Dan Duquette wanted Pedro.

The Expos had to get rid of Martinez before he started big money and left them with no return, so Boston traded away a package focused on top pitching prospect Carl Pavano. Here’s another irony, because Pavano would end up with the Marlins, have some success and sign a big-money deal with the Yankees. At which point, he turned into one of the most shiftless players to put on a major league uniform. Thus, Red Sox Nation owes thanks to Pavano for bringing us Pedro and for stiffing the Yankees.

Pedro’s entire tenure in Boston, through 2004, was incredibly productive, but the first three years were positively electric. He won sixty games over that timeframe and took home the Cy Young Award in both 1999 and 2000. He finished second in the ’99 MVP voting, and the one year he didn’t win the Cy was ’98—when he finished second.

Fenway Park always had an electric, playoff-like atmosphere on the nights Pedro pitched.

I worked in the sports handicapping field recently and a veteran of the field told me that the gambling lines posted when Pedro took the mound at Fenway were like nothing they had seen before or since. Bettors who wanted the Red Sox usually had to lay something like $350 to turn a profit of $100, odds you never see associated with a single baseball game. That’s how much he dominated a game. Still others tell stories of the electric atmosphere that existed in the Fens when it was Pedro’s night to pitch, giving it a playoff feel in midsummer.

In 2001, the first warning signs of decline began to set in. It was not about performance, it was about durability. Pedro is a wiry 5’11 and goes 195 lbs, and his throwing motion was exceptionally violent. He was dominant when he was on the mound, but only made 18 starts—easily his career low until the shoulder finally gave out at the tail end of his career. But in those eighteens starts, he still put up a 2.39 ERA.

The Red Sox were careful with the franchise arm over the next two seasons and Pedro stayed mostly healthy and was mostly dominant. He won 20 games in 2002, with a 2.26 ERA and finished second in the Cy Young voting. He had a 2.22 ERA in 2003, though an inordinate amount of no-decisions kept him at 14-4. Boston had bullpen problems throughout ’03, and the combination of Pedro’s durability and the bullpen would create a disaster scenario when the season ended.

I think it’s safe to say most all readers know the gory details, but Pedro pitched a brilliant seven innings in Yankee Stadium in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, and had a 5-2 lead. He was at the point in his pitch counts where all the data said it was time to take him out. Manager Grady Little left him in and the Yankees rallied to tie the game. Whether Little should have come under the fire he did is debatable—it’s not like it was one year later when Keith Foulke would shore up the pen. There weren’t a lot of good options. But it speaks well to the baseball IQ of Boston fandom that everyone knew that Pedro had given everything he had to reach the point.

And speaking of one year later…yes, let’s speak of one year later. Pedro was no longer the ace, as Curt Schilling came to town and won 21 games. But Pedro won 16 of his own with a 3.90 ERA. He was outstanding in a Game 2 Division Series win over the Angels, and in a Game 3 World Series start at St. Louis, he was vintage Pedro. The Cardinals had an elite power-hitting lineup and hope of getting back into the Series, but with seven innings of one-run baseball, Pedro squelched that hope and set up the following night’s historic celebration.

Things came to an end in Boston that offseason. Realistically, it was time for the two sides to part ways. The Red Sox front office, understandably, did not want to commit on a long-term contract given the state of Pedro’s shoulder. He, just as understandably, felt he could get the job done and wanted long-term security. The New York Mets took the chance and gave him the fourth contract year that Boston wouldn’t. Pedro had a good year in 2005, but his shoulder gave out after that.

That’s what made 2009 such a pleasant surprise. The Philadelphia Phillies were kicking the tires of some veteran pitching choices for the stretch drive and decided to give Pedro a shot. He came up big, going 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA down the stretch and throwing seven shutout innings at the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Phils won the pennant and Pedro was a big reason why. Even with his velocity gone, his command of multiple pitches, his control and his intelligence on the mound still made him a potent weapon. He was able to hang it up on a good note.

THE AWARDS NOT WON

A career with three Cy Young Awards requires no apologies, but you can make a very good case that Pedro’s trophy shelf is a little too empty. He was robbed of the 1999 AL MVP award, because two voters refused to list him on their ballots at all because he was a pitcher. He finished close enough that even being placed third or fourth by both would have gotten him the award.

You can also argue that he should have won the Cy Young Awards in 1998 and 2002. His numbers were basically with a wash with winners Roger Clemens in ’99 and Barry Zito in ’02. I won’t say he was robbed, but you have a case where the Cy Youngs that Pedro did win were no-doubt-about-it, and the two he didn’t were too close to call.

ELECTRIC IN OCTOBER

Pedro didn’t shy from the October stage and delivered the following big moments for the Red Sox…

*He controlled an outstanding Cleveland lineup in Game 1 of the 1998 Division Series. This win ended a 10-game Red Sox losing streak in the postseason that dated back to Pedro’s 15th birthday party.

*He dominated Clemens in an easy win over the Yankees in the 1999 ALCS. Pedro’s excellence at this stage of his career is such that the Yankees felt a special motivation to make sure they didn’t this series get to a seventh game. Even the best team in baseball, with homefield advantage, didn’t want any part of him in a one-game shot for the pennant.

*In 2003, he went head-to-head with Zito in the decisive game of the Division Series and won a 4-3 game. Pedro also had the lead over Zito in the eighth inning of Game 1, before the bullpen coughed it up—a circumstance that set up Little’s indecision in the subsequent Game 7 of the ALCS.

*Then there was his finest moment. The 1999 Division Series with Cleveland had come down to a deciding fifth game. It turned into an early slugfest and was 8-8 when the Indians came up in the bottom of the fourth. Pedro was considered unavailable, because there was already concern about his shoulder, and TV analysts were speculating that he shouldn’t pitch—that even a game this big wasn’t worth the Red Sox jeopardizing their future.

Instead, Pedro came out of the bullpen and threw six no-hit innings against one of the great offensive lineups of this era. The Red Sox won 12-8. It’s a performance that deserves its place in Red Sox lore right up with Schilling’s Game 6 of the ALCS in 2004. Pedro’s weakened shoulder didn’t give TV cameras the powerful visual of the bloody sock. It didn’t come against the Yankees, and it didn’t lead to a World Series title. But Pedro had put his career and health on the line that night in Cleveland as sure as Schilling did in the Bronx. Let’s honor them both.

DOMINATING AN UNCLEAN ERA

Pedro walked off the mound as one who did it clean in an era where opposing hitters were not.

Let’s conclude by pointing this out—Pedro was not only one of the dominant pitchers of his era, he did it in an era that was defined by hitters’ on steroids. Yet his statistical performance needs no adjustment for this context. It doesn’t even require adjustment for pitching in Fenway Park. Think if Pedro would have pitched in a place like San Diego’s vast Petco Park without hitters juiced up. Maybe it’s just as well he pitched when he did—it kept everything fair.

That underscores the point of Pedro’s legacy that shines brighter with each passing year. There has been no evidence, circumstantial or otherwise, that ever connected him to PED use, even if certain Boston media types like to cast aspersions on players from the Dominican. Pedro did it clean and he did it extraordinarily well. Officially, he’s the Vintage Athlete of the Month. In reality, he’s the best player to put on a Red Sox uniform since Ted Williams.

]]>http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/07/03/vintage-athlete-of-the-month-pedro-martinez/feed/1Vintage Athlete Of The Month: Derek Sandersonhttp://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/05/30/vintage-athlete-of-the-month-derek-sanderson/
http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/05/30/vintage-athlete-of-the-month-derek-sanderson/#commentsThu, 30 May 2013 17:49:55 +0000http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/?p=22120The Boston Bruins of the early 1970s were a championship team, winning multiple Stanley Cups, and those teams were led by some of the all-time greats. Starting with Bobby Orr and including Phil Esposito, the Bruins were loaded with talent. Derek Sanderson wasn’t one of the most notable players on the ice, but he was still an important contributor—and he

Derek Sanderson scaled the highs and lows of the professional sports lifestyle.

The Boston Bruins of the early 1970s were a championship team, winning multiple Stanley Cups, and those teams were led by some of the all-time greats. Starting with Bobby Orr and including Phil Esposito, the Bruins were loaded with talent. Derek Sanderson wasn’t one of the most notable players on the ice, but he was still an important contributor—and he was very notable off the ice. BST&N honors him as our Vintage Athlete Of The Month.

Sanderson was born in Ontario, and picked up his native country’s passion for hockey. He played four years in the Ontario Hockey Association before being signed the Bruins prior to the 1965-66 NHL season. After a couple seasons spent mostly in the minor leagues, Sanderson would come to Boston full-time in 1968.

He played center and in his first year captured the Calder Memorial Trophy, symbolic of NHL Rookie of the Year. Sanderson never produced great offensive numbers—29 goals and 34 assists were the highwater mark of the five years he played in Boston—but nor was that necessarily his role. With Esposito as the front-line center, Sanderson’s unit was often entrusted with penalty-kill responsibilities and generally expected to play more conservatively. He did his job well, and being able to hoist the Cup in both 1970 & 1972 was the reward.

Even in his greatest moment, Sanderson was overshadowed. We’ve all seen the shots of Bobby Orr’s flying goal to win the Stanley Cup in 1970. Somebody had the assist on that play, and that someone was Derek Sanderson.

But while Sanderson’s on-ice achievements were marked by the quiet, humble, team-oriented approach that wins championships, his off-ice achievements were taking him in the opposite direction. He lived a flamboyant lifestyle, well-recognized in the Hub and did what a lot of us would have done at age 26, if we had fame and women crawling all over us—he indulged in the lifestyle to the fullest.

But living that lifestyle requires a big paycheck, and in a stunning development, Sanderson landed an annual $2.6 million deal with the Philadelphia Blazers of the World Hockey Association. Why is that figure so stunning? Not only was it a lot by the standards of the summer of 1972, but it was the biggest contract ever given to a professional athlete in any sport.

In the sports world of 1972, elite players were names like Johnny Bench and Reggie Jackson in baseball. There was Roger Staubach and Terry Bradshaw emerging in the NFL, while Jerry West was leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a record win streak and title in the NBA. That’s just a handful of the stars—Derek Sanderson got a bigger paycheck than any of them.

Sanderson had the assist on a certain famous goal. Later on, Bobby Orr assisted him on something more important.

The situation did not work out in Philadelphia, and after an injury-riddled year, the Blazers bought out Sanderson’s contract—in effect, they paid him a million dollars to leave town. The bill for Sanderson’s lifestyle was coming due, only he didn’t see it yet. He came back to Boston, but wasn’t the same player and the Bruins traded him to New York.

Combining a young man on a self-destructive path with the Big Apple nightlife had a predictable result. Sanderson went in on a nightclub investment with New York Jets’ quarterback Joe Namath, whose lifestyle made Sanderson look like a monk by comparison. The nightclub flopped, and so did Sanderson’s hockey career. For the next several years he drifted from team to team, only having a notable year with the St. Louis Blues in 1976, when he scored 24 goals and dished 43 assists.

The nightclub wasn’t the last bad investment. Sanderson continued to take risks, and he ended up broke, developing a serious drinking problem and even slept on a parkbench in New York City.

Derek Sanderson has become off the ice the player he once was on the ice–a humble team player.

Thus far we have a player with a good, albeit not great, career, and a disastrous personal life. Is this why he’s BSTN’s Vintage Athlete Of the Month? No, but what happened next is.

Derek Sanderson found a new lease on life thanks to the generosity of Bobby Orr and the loyalty of Boston sports fans. Orr helped Sanderson get into rehab, and Sanderson would go on to spend ten years as a NESN broadcaster, giving something back to the fans who once cheered him on. Sanderson took his debt to Orr and “paid it forward.” Sanderson set up an organization designed to help professional athletes manage their money and avoid the same kind of life-wrecking spiral that left him destitute.

It’s easy to understand why Derek Sanderson became beloved in Boston. I suspect most of us can identify with one who made bad choices at a young age—particularly when the opportunities to do so were much greater than most of us will ever experience. He hit rock bottom and was humble enough to accept that his own flamboyance had destroyed him. He became the man off the ice, that he had once been on the ice—the team player, whose greatest moment was not scoring, but in an assist.